Box lid fastener



Dec. 22, 1959 M. M. RICHARDSON 2,913,319

BOX LID FASTENER Filed Dec. 20, 1956 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.

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' BOX LID FASTENER Filed Dec. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. MEGUEE/ TE ME/CHA 2050M H52 A rromvs Y United States BOX LID FASTENER Marguerite M. Richardson, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application December 20, 1956, Serial No. 629,595

7 Claims. (Cl. 292-253) This invention relates generally to a locking device for lids on boxes and more particularly to a lid locking device onwhich the seal may be broken for purposes of inspection without destroying the lock.

Box lid locking devices heretofore have been constructed so that the box mustbe destroyed in order to open the same. Again most of the locking devices for the lids on boxes have heretofore been constructed to occupy considerable space in the box which is highly objectionable.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a locking device for the lid of a box which when sealed with wax or paper seal may be broken by the postmaster for the purpose of inspection and resealed by him for delivery without destroying or otherwise mutilating the box. The sole purpose is to retain the lid on the box. This character of device will undoubtedly never replace the tying of a box with cord or string but it provides a use that makes it adaptable for mail or delivery service Without destruction of the box or lock which permits its reuse and also provides a visual indication that the box has been previously opened.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a box lid locking device that is suspended between the walls of the lid and the walls of the bottom and thus does not occupy any space within the box bottom proper which has been the principal objection of the structures as known in the prior art.

Another object is the provision of a box lid locking device positioned between the walls of the lid and the bottom of the box and which is inaccessible for accidental or unauthorized opening.

This is an improvement on my Patent No. 2,206,049 for Self-Locking Container, issued July 2, 194-0.

Other objects and advantages of this invention appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting this invention or the claims thereto, certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an extended socket comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lid locking member that cooperates with the socket of the locking device.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another form of socket of the lid locking device comprising this invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of another form of the lid locking member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lid locking member and socket shown in locking engagement.

Fig. 7 is a View in vertical section of a box showing th lid locking member in looking engagement.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the locking member shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a modified form of the locking members.

2,918,319 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 Referring to the drawings the box lid fastener employs a socket member such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and a locking hook member such as illustrated in Fig. 3. The socket member as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises the strap member 1 which is preferably made of a soft metal or plastic that is readily flexed and will hold its positionafter being flexed or folded but is still sutficiently strong to perform its duties. The strap 1 is made up in three sections, the body section 2, the back section 3 and the end section 4. These sections may be folded relative to their adjacent sections along the fold lines as indicated between the spaced dotted lines shown at 5 and 6.- When the box is cut out, a slot such as illustrated at 7 in Fig. 7 is cut in the side wall of the box to receive the end section t. After the box has been cut out it is frequent-' ly shipped knocked down so the slot or hole 7 must be properly gauged relative to the rim 8 regardless of whether the box is shipped when assembled or knocked down.

If the strap 1 is folded along the margin 6, the end 4 may be extended through the slot 7 as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 and the marginal fold 5 is then formed by turning down the body 2 on the outside of the side wall 10 of the box ll. As shown in Fig. 6 the end 4 is turned under the body 2 whereas in Fig. 7 the end 4 is turnedover or in front of the body 2. The slot 7 is gauged so that the end 12 of the strap 1, part of which forms the locking edge is above the bend 6 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The body 2 of the strap 1 is provided with spaced parallel indentations such as the ribs 13 which are more clearly shown in Fig. 2 that provide two functions. First they stiffen the body 2 against flexure and then they also provide a spacing between the underside of the body 2 and the outer surface of the wall 10 of the box bottom 11. These stiffening ribs 13 keep the body 2 spaced from the outer surface of the wall 10 to insure that the hook member of the locking member 15 will pass around the locking edge 12 when the box lid member 16 is placed over the bottom member 11.

The lid locking member 15 is likewise a straight continuous strap member being considered in two sections, the head section 17 and the body section 18, the latter having the hook 14 formed along its lower edge. The head and the body are separated by a marginal folding line 20 which when folded as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 may be placed under a seal or sealed by wax to the lid i6; thus providing a lid which when locked with the bottom of the box must show removal if the box parts are separated. The locking member 15 is made from a straight strap of uniform width as shown in Fig. 3 and when it is bent over with its end 17 bent along the line 29 and inserted through the slot 21 in the lid the part 17 may be placed under a seal on which the sender may write his name and which seal could express to the postmaster that the box may be opened by breaking the seal and bending the section 17 upwardly and sliding it out of the slots 21 with instructions to reseal the same if broken for completing the delivery service. A wax or other type of sealing means may be employed. However, this is the simplest form which preferably does not require any kind of a fastening means, as: the bent over section 17 is suficient to hold the box closed and the seal is merely to indicate whether or not it has been disturbed.

To make it a little more ditiicult for people to open the box the head of the locking member 15 may be enlarged as shown in Fig. 5 at 22 which is used in the same manner as that described with the reference to the locking member of Fig. 3. The instructions on the container using this type of locking member would inform the postmaster to increase the width of the slot 21 for the pun pose of opening the box with a further request to place a seal over the head when the device is again replaced as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The structure shownin Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of the socket member 1 wherein the section 2 is provided with lateral sides 23 and 24 which when bent upwardly from that shown in Fig. 4 provide a track as illustrated in Fig. 8 and function as a guide to the stem 18 of the locking member 15 and the hook. However the hook member 14 descends between the guides 23 and 24 until the hook 14 passes over the locking edge 12 of the socket.

As shown in Fig. 9 the guide members 25 and 26 are bent upwardly and then back to provide a spacing between the side wall 10 of the bottom 11 of the box and also provide a spacing member between the back of the body section 2 and the outer face of the wall 10 of the box bottom 11. This double bent guide member strengthens the section as Well as acts as a spacer.

It will be noted in Fig. 8 that the end 4 is bent to pass back of the body wherein in Fig. 9 the end 4 is outside of the body 2 to cover the locking hook and thus prevent accidental opening of the same.

I claim:

1. A lock to fasten between the overlapping side walls of the lid and bottom of a thin cardboard box comprising a socket positioned on the outer face of the side wall of the box bottom and having a body section with a strap at one end and a transverse locking edge, a cooperating hook positioned inside of the box lid side wall to slide over said body section of said socket and engage under said transverse locking edge when the box lid and bottorrn are closed with the side walls of the lid overlapping the side walls of the bottom and covering said socket, the body section of said socket lying against the outer face of the box bottom side Wall and said strap extending over the rim of said box bottom side wall and back through said side wall and turned upwardly, and said hook having a head section projecting through a slot in the box lid and extending over the top surface of the lid for sealing therewith and to permit authorized opening and resealing therewith.

2. The socket structure of claim 1 characterized in that said strap end extends under the body section of said socket when attached to the side wall of the box bottom.

3. A socket structure of claim 1 characterized in that said strap end extends over said body section when said socket is attached to the side wall of the box bottom to cover the hook locked in place.

4. The socket structure of claim 1 characterized in that said transverse locking edge is the edge along the end of said body.

5. The socket structure of claim 1 characterized by rib means in said body section to space said locking edge from the surface of the side wall of the box bottom.

6. The socket structure of claim 1 characterized by turned up sides along said body section to form guides for said hook member.

7. The socket structure of claim 1 characterized in that said head section extending over said top surface is wider than said hook.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

